Customer Reviews

Konica Minolta Activa 8x40W Binoculars

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My binoculars arrived promptly and in perfect condition being nicely packaged. I was surprised at the fine quality of the case. The focuser and diopter were mechanically better than anything you could find in a department store. I found the
exit pupils (the round disks of light visible at arms lenght
in the eyepieces) to be squared off at the sides. If these bino's really had BAK4 prisms these should have been completly round. No baffling was found in the barrels.
The eyecups are really nice and pop down with your palm as
displayed in the instructions. Ample 18mm of eye relief allowed
me to leave my glasses on while viewing. Unfortunately reflections or "ghosting" was a problem and the edge sharpness
was mediocre at best. These problems were present with or without glasses. Funny how they went on sale right after I bought them!

Brief:
Go for these if you think 8X is right for you.

Pros:
1) Bright, Clear optics.
2) Wide angle (8.2°) - doesn't feel like peering out of a pipe.
3) Ruggedly built and won't fog in light-rain (important in Seattle & thereabouts).
4) Not too heavy - about 1½ lb.

Cons:
1) 8X feels slightly underpowered. No good for astronomy.
2) Some chromatic aberration apparent on bright edges, but not any worse than the Nikons & Leicas I looked at

Before I purchased these binoculars I compared them to other brands at a local camera store. The Minolta's were brighter and had better field of view than several Nikon brands such as the Egret II, Action V and Monarch models. The fact that they are weather proof is also a plus. ...

Very bright, better than comparably priced binos from other brands. This bino is very good for watching SEC Football during day or night, and this was the primary reason I bought them. Very good eye relief allows me to use with glasses, so I can quickly cease using them if a pass play is called. Very easy to focus. For Football and other spectator sports, 8X40 with very wide angle is the perfect bino size. Weather proof is a definite plus. They are a bit bulky, but not any more so than other comparable brand full size Binos. Wish it had a padded ballistic nylon carry case, but the vinyl does just fine. JDH